


Longing for you

by SxphieHatter



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Beauty and the Beast - All Media Types
Genre: Adam is a cold business man, Alternate Universe, Angst, Chronic Illness, F/M, Modern AU, Plumette is who (reluctantly) brings them together, Slow Burn, and I plan on editing more once I get into the swing of things, belle is a sick girl who loves books, feedback would be very helpful, just warning yall, this is my first fic, this won't have a very happy ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 16:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17026020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SxphieHatter/pseuds/SxphieHatter
Summary: Adam Beaumont is the CEO of a major publishing company, and when asked to let a sick young woman read a book before it is published, their lives will be inexplicably be tangled together. As Adam confronts his past and future through the chronically ill young woman, he realizes that there much more to life than what he ever previously thought. However, he has to face the stark reality that life in fact fragile and love may not always be what saves the day.





	Longing for you

**Author's Note:**

> Please read and review! This is my first fic I am publishing on here so any feedback will be much appreciated :) I hope you enjoy this firs chapter.

The first time Adam had heard about her was when Plumette had softly approached him in his office and asked for a favor. He was busy, always so busy running his late father’s publishing company, and Adam could proud himself in his family’s hard work taking this company and turning it into a one of the top publishers in the country. Countless best sellers had their beginning in this building working with some of the top editors. Famous and well-known authors sought out Beaumont Publishing for their latest novels.  
Despite the company’s growth in size, Adam was still glad of its tight-knit community feel between his employees. Not that he had been a part of it, preferring to hold himself away and not get involved in the common affairs of his employees common lives. Adams father had groomed him for taking over the company, and forming relationships with those he employed was not seen as favorable pastime. It was much easier to fire someone whom he barely knew, than someone he had developed a friendship with. Not that Adam had many friends either. A few other young men who he would attend business dinners with, along with whatever beautiful, but empty headed young heiress graced his arm.  
So when his secretary, Plumette had come into his office and said, “Sir, can I ask you a question?” Adam had dutifully glanced up and saw the dark skinned young woman standing there, looking a bit nervous.  
“What is it Plumette? I already approved you to have next Friday off.” He replied with a dismissive sound in his voice.  
“It's not about that, sir.”  
“Well then, what is it?  
She stood there looking at him wondering how to proceed. She opened her mouth, as if to speak, and then closed it again, still unsure how to approach the topic.  
“What is it Plumette? Spit it out.” he said, his voice taking laced with an impatient and annoyed ring.  
“Sir, it’s about the upcoming publication of Kingdoms of Wrath and Dawn. I know its not due to be officially published until the next five months, but there have been copies sent out to be reviewed, so I am wondering if you could approve to send out another.  
Adam pinched his fingers between his eyebrows. In his opinion, the trashy, yet extremely popular YA fantasy was an anticipated release for this year that was to bring in a lot of money. Adam sighed and said, “Did that fool Lumiere forget to send a copy to the New York Times again? Because you would’ve been better off not telling me.”  
“No, no sir, Lumiere sent out copies to all the correct places. This… is a bit of a favor I am asking.”  
Adam raised his eyebrows, and before he could say anything, Plumette continued on. “Its for a friend, you see. She has made her name known in the book community, running social media accounts, writing reviews, etc. But she has been a huge fan of this series and would really like to read the the last one before it is due to be released.”  
Before Plumette could continue on, Adam silenced her with a wave of his hand and his angry interjection, “Plumette, I’m not going to send out a copy of a highly anticipated conclusion to a series for some girl you’re friends with to read before everyone else so that she can write a review on her blog or whatever, so she can gain a few more comments and likes? Jesus Christ, Plumette, I promoted you to be my secretary because I thought you took your work seriously and wouldn't ask such stupid questions!”  
His voice had risen to a half shout while he glared at Plumette. She stood there, taking the insults but had a scared expression on her face. She took a few steps back, bit her lip and said quietly, “I’m sorry, sir. I should’ve known better than to ask. I only did so because she’s sick, you see, and I think it would do her great good to read the book as soon as she can.”  
With that, she turned around left his spacious office, and resumed her position at her desk in the room outside. Adam sat staring after her for a moment, but when his phone rang with a important call and an invite to dinner tomorrow night, he had totally forgotten about Plumette’s request and the sick girl by the time he left his office a few hours later. 

 

***

 

Plumette sat down heavily in her desk chair and sighed, putting her face into her hands, begging herself to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. She always prided herself on her thick skin and being able to take criticism, but the stress of the past few weeks had just caught up to her. Sucking in a deep shuddering breath, she wiped away at the wetness around her eyes and set herself back to her work as a form of distraction.  
She knew her boss to be a cold young man, with a disdain for anything that had to do with decent human kindness. It irked her even more because she, a dark skinned woman who had put self through college with the paychecks she had earned working as a maid (not to count the large student debt she still had acquired) had been around her boss’s type long before she had ever even met him and knew just how selfish and uncaring they could be. She had just hoped that there was a glimmer of some kindness somewhere inside him.  
Just then Ms. Potts, a middle aged, motherly type of woman walked in and upon seeing Plumette with red puffy eyes, exclaimed “Oh dear, what happened!?”  
Plumette just silently shook her head, still afraid that if she spoke, her voice would break and the tears would start again, although her hurt was quickly changing into anger. Ms. Potts had quickly left with promise of a ‘cup of something to cheer you up.’ And on her return with a steaming cup of coffee from the breakroom, Ms. Potts set it down on Plumettes desk and asked, “What is it dearie? We all have bad days, and if you want to tell me about it you can. Or I could go get that lad down in marketing if you’d rather.”  
“Lumiere?” Plumette smiled weakly. “No...but thank you, Ms. Potts, I’ll be fine. I just was startled by our boss’s temper.”  
Ms. Potts glanced towards the door leading to Adams office and frowned slightly. “Well,” she said, “we all can’t be perfect everyday, especially Mr. Beaumont, but he’s not as bad as he seems.”  
Without replying to Plumettes confused look, Ms. Potts turned and left the room. Hmm, thought Plumette, I hope Ms. Potts is correct, because he really has always been quite so rude. Plumette knew little of the relationship between her boss and the older woman. She knew that the two of them had known each other for a long time, but she did not know much else. Ms. Potts did not quite have an actual position within the company, and just seemed to do little odd jobs around while Mr. Beaumont paid her and always made sure she need not worry about her job security. Plumette knew that Ms. Potts had a young son and husband that she did not see often, as her tasks of helping Mr. Beaumont often kept her very busy.  
Either way, she often wondered how such a business tycoon had found himself in this mid-sized city in the flat planes of America. 

 

***  
About twenty-some miles outside the city, a young woman was sitting in her bed propped up by pillows reading by a small bit of light. The girl’s father, upon passing her room gently chided her against staying up too late because sleep will help her heal and feel better.


End file.
